News Flash

REGARDING:  Windsor Heights Insurance Service Organization (ISO) Rating

CONTACT:  Public Safety Director Chad McCluskey

                        Phone:  515-277-4453            Email: cmccluskey@windsorheights.org

The City of Windsor Heights recently completed a routine review by the Insurance Service Organization (ISO), which is the agency responsible for issuing ratings of Fire Departments throughout the United States. 

The City of Windsor Heights received a Public Protection Classification rating of 3.  The rating system uses 1 through 10, with 1 being the highest and 10 being the lowest score.  Nationwide, only 3,461 of the 42,083 Fire Departments earned an ISO rating of 3.  A total of 1,874 Fire Departments earned a 1 or 2 rating, with the remaining departments having ratings higher than 3.  The rating places Windsor Heights in the top 13% of ISO ratings in the United States.  

Throughout the State of Iowa, only 53 of the 1,715 Fire Departments throughout Iowa achieved a rating of 3 or higher.  One Fire Department received a 1 rating, while 16 received a 2 rating.  36 Fire Departments across Iowa, including Windsor Heights, earned a rating of 3.  Within the State, Windsor Heights is among the top 3%. 

Essential Elements a Fire Department must have to receive a Class 3 rating include:

• The Department must have pumper capacity to suppress a fire in any building in the community;
• The Department must have a 24-hour central dispatch for contacting all firefighters on duty via pagers;
• The Department must have fully equipped reserve apparatus;
• The Department must perform annual tests on pumper trucks, hoses, and hydrants;
• A minimum number of firefighters must be active in the department and respond to alarms;
• Firefighter training must greatly exceed minimum standards;
• The department and community must have a definitive, reliable, and pressurized water supply; and
• Must perform annual fire code building inspections.

Achieving a rating of 3 in a department combining both paid and volunteer/paid-on-call staff is truly a testament to the personnel of the Windsor Heights Fire Department.  We thank our career, part-time, and paid-on-call members for their dedication to maintaining a safe community.

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